The present application relates generally to the field of collapsible enclosures for infants and toddlers and, more particularly, to a folding lock mechanism for a collapsible frame that eliminates pinch points on the frame.
Cribs, play yards, and other portable enclosures are useful to contain and provide a safe environment for small children to sleep or play. Such enclosures generally include side walls and a bottom floor made of fabric material or similar soft goods supported on a collapsible frame that allows the enclosure to be easily reconfigured for use for storage or transport. The drive to minimize the space necessary to contain a collapsed frame has resulted in a relatively congested array of frame members when the frames are collapsed. With this increased congestion comes the potential to create pinch points within the framework, especially as normally spaced-apart frame members are moved into adjacent contact with one another. Continuing refinements in folding frames reinforce the need for folding frame designs to consider potential pinch points and to seek to minimize, if not eliminate any such hazards to the user.